1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a web information processing apparatus and a web information processing method, and an information processing apparatus and information processing apparatus control method, for associating and registering an arbitrary web page and a broadcast program (hereinafter “program”).
2. Description of the Related Art
Receivers, PC and the like that, in addition to having the capability to receive broadcast transmissions and output video and audio, are also capable of accessing a server on a computer network and displaying a web page are now commercially available. Moreover, both broadcasting service providers and communication service providers have advanced a variety of arguments and proposals concerning a fusion of television broadcasting and data communications, and it is not hard to imagine that, in the near future, viewers will be able to get services that use both broadcasting and communications without making a conscious distinction between the two.
Given this situation, receivers having the capability to provide services that combine broadcast program viewing and, for example, connection to the internet, are being studied. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-319279 (D1) describes a digital TV broadcast receiver that detects URL information transmitted as accompanying information for digital TV broadcast data and stores the detected URL information in a URL database. The digital TV broadcast receiver is equipped with an internet connection capability as well as the ability to display a list of the URLs stored in the URL database, connect to a URL designated by a user, and display a web page.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-23641 (D2) discloses a receiver that, while receiving and displaying a broadcast program, connects to the internet based on URL information transmitted with the broadcast of that program and simultaneously displays a web page and the program.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H10-177532 (D3) describes a method and apparatus that uses internet URn information associated with a program that is contained in TV program schedule data to automatically display on the TV screen an internet home page linked to the TV program.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-104640 (D4) describes a digital TV broadcasting receiver that associates and stores program name data included in the TV broadcast with a URL or an e-mail address, so that this information can be seen at any time when so notified during broadcast.
In addition, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-041856 (D5) discloses a technology that, when adding and storing a TV program name and other such EPG (Electronic Program Guide) information during bookmark registration and browsing a web page during TV program viewing, searches for a registered bookmark with the EPG information of the TV program being viewed. With the technology disclosed in D5, if the results of the search for a registered bookmark indicate that there is such a bookmark, that web page is automatically displayed.
However, with the digital TV receiver described in D1, only URL information is stored in the URL database, and therefore the URL information cannot be associated with a program. Moreover, the URL information cannot be set freely by a user who is viewing the program.
In addition, the receiver described in D2 handles only URL information transmitted with the TV broadcast transmission and URL information displayed or output as audio during the program, and consequently can only handle URL information that is already associated on the broadcasting station end to its own programs to be broadcast.
In addition, with the receiver described in D3, the URL information of the home page that is linked to the program and displayed is included in the program schedule data in advance by the program schedule data provider. As a result, the viewer cannot link to a program and display a home page having URL information that is not included in the TV program schedule data.
Further, the receiver described in D4 only registers a URL or e-mail address notified during the program and does not provide the ability to access a registered URL. Moreover, as with D2 and D3, the receiver described in D4 registers only information notified during the program, and therefore cannot register an arbitrary web page.
At present, viewers want to be able to associate programs they view and web pages they select themselves (hereinafter such web pages are called arbitrary web pages), and access those arbitrary web pages easily when viewing such programs.
For example, a viewer watching a music program wants to be able to access a web bulletin board where fans of the cast gather and to communicate with other fans on the web bulletin board while watching the concert.
However, in the current environment, either the broadcasters or the program schedule data providers do no more than provide viewers with the URLs of pre-selected and set, fixed web pages, such as the web sites of the cast or the web sites of the music program. In other words, the structure is the same as that of the technologies disclosed in the patent publications described above. As a result, it is difficult to argue that URL information suited to the numerous and diverse individual tastes of viewers is being provided.
It might be assumed that broadcasters and program schedule data providers could select web pages suited to the desires of all viewers prior to program transmission and provide those web pages together with the program as URL information. However, it is very difficult to identify in advance the desires of each one of so large a number of viewers. Further, although the broadcasters or program schedule data providers could set arbitrary web pages themselves without regard to the desires of viewers, for broadcasters to select the web pages to be linked from among so large a number of web pages is in reality impossible. Consequently, with the technology disclosed in the patent publications described above, it has not been possible to provide the capability to achieve the desires of viewers.
As a result, viewers have had to launch a web browser manually while viewing a program, and search for and display an arbitrary web page. Alternatively, it has been necessary for viewers simply to register a web page found in advance in their web browser using the web browser's bookmark function, and to select and display the desired web page from among the registered web pages while viewing the program. This is not only a burden on the viewer but a forced inconvenience as well, insofar as the viewer must always remember which web page is the web page that he or she wishes to display when viewing the program.
One method of solving the problems described above is described in D5. However, with the technology disclosed in D5, several problems such as those described below exist.
(1) The information that is to be associated when registering the web page in the bookmark is limited to the EPG information of the TV program currently being viewed. In other words, even when a web page that one would like to link to a program and retain is found, registration of the web page must be performed in conjunction with the broadcast time of that program. Moreover, an arbitrarily determined key word cannot be linked.
(2) When book-marking the web page, if a TV broadcast is being received and displayed, bookmark registration associated with program information is requested. In other words, in order to carry out ordinary book-marking that is not linked to program information, program viewing must be interrupted.
(3) There is no detailed disclosure of the process involved when associating multiple web pages with a single piece of program information, or of the method of display involved when multiple web pages are linked to a single piece of program information. Moreover, there is no description of the specific process involved when linking a single web page to a plurality of pieces of program information. When applying the technology described in D5, it appears that linking a given web page to three types of additional information creates three entries for the same web page as bookmark entries, which is very inconvenient for the viewer.
(4) There is no arrangement for notifying a web page associated with a program to the viewer outside of viewing the program. For example, there is no way of knowing whether a desired web page is associated with a program displayed in an EPG or other electronic program schedule.